Dawn Chorus
by Out Live a Lie
Summary: Perhaps it was odd for a woman of her age to have a teenager as her only companion, in fact if not for Emma's insistence she knew she would be very much alone. Well, she would have Rocinante who, more often than not, was far better behaved and far more well-mannered than Emma, but having an actual human for contact was something quite different. [FTL AU]


**I uploaded this to my Tumblr yesterday, and thought I my as well upload it here too. **

**I know I'm meant to be working on my WIP's and all that jazz, but an idea hit me at work and this happened. ****I don't usual write on the spur of the moment, so this will likely not be as good as it could be. For that I apologise, but I tried.**

**Basically it is from a verse where Regina was younger/Eva died sooner so Cora did what she usually does and ended up marrying Leopold (which I have come up with changes to justify that, but that doesn't come up here in detail).**

**This was supposed to be a Young Swan Queen drabble with feels and adventure, but then I kinda go carried away. Like 5000+ words carried away. I might upload it to also, but I'm not sure at present.**

**Important note: Abuse is suggested, but not shown.**

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Her call was met with a delighted laugh, soon followed by, "Aww, come on Regina."

Following after the blonde, Regina wrung her hands, her every step measured as she tried to avoid the plants and bushes in the overgrowth. Of course Emma would not do something simple or rational, such as using a well-trodden path through the forest. There was more 'adventure' in a wild route, or at least that is what she claimed.

"I promised my mother that we would only go for a short ride, if she were to find out –

"It'll be fine." Emma waved off her worry, which did lighten its weight slightly, but it was never something so easily dismissed; not for her.

"I do not feel comfortable leaving Rocinante tied to a tree."

"He's got Kura for company," Emma replied, giving Regina an easy smile over her shoulder, knowing full well how much Regina treasured her horse, for he was, for a long time, the only ear she had willing to truly listen to her, "Hey who knows we might come back a find her with foal."

Regina bit back a sigh, sometimes Emma's attempts at humour were downright terrible, and as always she bit for the bait dangled in front of her. Her reply unusually snappy, "How dare you suggest he would do something as improper as that."

"Not that we would be able to tell or anything, but I think somewhere deep inside we would know. That would be an adorable horse though."

"Are you even listening to me?" God she hoped she didn't end up with grass stains or sap on her clothing, or even worse a tear in the cloth. That would not be easily explained away, not that she was all that skilled in deceit and lies, "What it is we are even doing?"

"We are going on an adventure." Emma's reply was akin to someone pointing out that the sky was blue, or that what they were doing was as normal as getting dressed in the morn.

As always, it was her duty to at least attempt to dissuade the hot-headed youth, "You are nearing the age of marriage and yet you continue to insist on behaving like a child. As your aunt –

"How come you're only my aunt when I misbehave?"

"Emma." Regina did her best to growl out the name in a mimic of her own mother's rage, but it fell flat and weak, as she found herself simply incapable of such a disposition. At least Emma admitted that she was getting into mischief. That was something.

"What even makes you think I will be married off so soon anyway?" Even though Emma strode in front, Regina could see the tilt of her head in her puzzlement, "You are older than I and yet you have yet to marry."

"I am not the princess."

"Well, technically…"

"No Emma. I am not." Her pace faltered, though when Emma turned she bent at the waist and pressed the tips of her fingers to a nearby root – to act as if she had merely lost her footing, "Besides… you know I am a special case."

The addition was softly spoken, but as always Emma heard. When Regina looked up, there was a furrow between her fair eyebrows; the look in her eyes had Regina's head swiftly dropping once more as she brushed at her breeches.

"She treats you like a child."

"Emma…" Regina sighed, the woman in question released a similar sound, giving up the topic of discussion before it could truly begin – something Regina was very grateful for, especially considering how near identical conversations had gone in the past.

A loud thud had Regina standing straight, turning immediately to peer behind them even though she knew the sound had not come from there. Still, the fear of being caught was a rather powerful one.

One deep breath later she managed to tear her eyes away from relatively still trees and bushes to return them to the wayward blonde, who happened to be crouched over the large cloth bag she had been carrying all morning. Regina did not have the faintest idea how Emma had managed something so cumbersome, and surely rather weighty, without breaking a sweat.

Pulling the top of the bag open, Emma's face lit up with a large grin before she retrieved the object she had decided they needed at that moment, in the middle of the woods.

Emma waved the item about in triumph, pausing to roll her eyes as Regina took a step back in her surprise – though it did not last long. Really, was there anything left that the blonde could do that could actually shock her anymore? If there was, it was not something Regina could even begin to imagine.

"Where did you get a sword?" Regina queried, taking cautious steps to Emma's side now she was calmed, "_Why_ do you have a sword?"

"Red helped me get all the stuff we need."

Regina shook her head softly at that, "You should be careful around her, she isn't exactly…"

She trailed off as Emma's eyes met hers, uttering a faint apology a few seconds later. Regina did not fully believe Emma's insistence that her Godmother was about as dangerous as a puppy, but she also respected her words at the same time. It was conflicting, and even when her own mother warned her of the danger posed by the werewolf, she found herself more than a little accepting of Emma's opinion of her. Emma could be bull-headed, but she was not hare-brained.

"And," Emma began, standing tall with the sheathed weapon in hand, "it's for the dragon of course."

Perhaps Regina had been too hasty in deeming her somewhat intelligent.

"Dragon?"

The sword glinted in the light seeping through the leaves overhead after Emma unsheathed it, holding it high and admiring the metal, "Yes. The dragon in the cave I found."

"Dragons are not real."

"What makes you so sure?" Emma asked as she returned the sword to its sheath and attached it to her belt.

"Have you ever seen one?"

Emma shrugged, looking annoyingly smug as she did, "Just because you cannot see something doesn't mean it is not real." The arrogance soon disappeared into a warm, honest expression, "I've never seen where you are from, yet I know it to be real. In fact I would very much like to visit there one day."

"You…" Regina pulled subconsciously at the bottom of her riding coat, her frustration melting away as swiftly as the winter snow had, "Wish to see my home?"

"Well, yes." Emma swivelled on her heel, seizing the bag as she did before resuming her determined trek through the forest, Regina finding herself once more swept up in the blonde's antics despite her constant weak protests, "The southern region is a large place, and so different to here. Why wouldn't I want to see something new?"

"But what of your place here?"

"Why would that matter?" Emma looked back over her shoulder, her smile fixed in place as usual, "I have no responsibilities at present, and in the future I will be queen, so I can do as I wish then and now."

"Is it really all that simple?"

"I believe it to be so, yes." The response was paired with Emma turning to face her, but continuing to walk backwards, an action that had Regina silently fretting over the possibility of the blonde tripping over something and injuring herself, "Have you never thought of such things? Dreamt of such things?"

Perhaps, long ago; "Mother says dreams are foolish, they only act as barriers to how your life should progress."

Emma puffed her cheeks out, her brow furrowing, "Destiny might be a thing, but it is something made of dreams. You can't reach it if you ignore them, don't you agree?"

"I…" Thankfully Emma seemed to sense her discomfort for the younger woman turned back around, thankfully without incidence, "I wish I was still as idealistic as you."

"You are, you just need someone who is willing to help you see that again." There was more Emma wanted to add, Regina could tell that, but she said no more. Regina did not press the princess, something that undoubtedly would occur if their positions were reversed, instead she basked in the warmth those words brought her. Perhaps it was odd for a woman of her age to have a teenager – or rather a young woman as she had pointed out near the start of their trek – as her only companion, in fact if not for Emma's insistence she knew she would be very much alone. Well, she would have Rocinante who, more often than not, was far better behaved _and_ far more well-mannered than Emma, but having an actual human for contact was something quite different.

A bird crowed overhead and her step quavered as she found her breeches snagged on a thorn bush. Typical, she becomes lost in the beginnings of foolish desires and something terrible happens.

Crouching slightly she pulled at the material of her trousers, praying silently that there would not be too large a tear. Why had she followed Emma's venture? What if they had been gone too long? What if her mother came looking for her? Or saw the damage when she returned? She could still clearly remember what had happened the last time she had gone on an 'adventure' with Emma and returned with a ripped sleeve.

Finally she managed to free herself from the bush, she ran her hand over where the material caught, breathing a sigh of relief that there was no visible snag. Only after that check did she look at the hand she had used to free herself, there was a small cut that she had not even felt, but that was all. She slipped the tip of her finger in her mouth and looked up.

All she could see was greenery.

Standing to her full height her hand fell back to her side.

"Emma?"

A spike of panic bloomed beneath her breast, her eyes widening as she whipped around, trying to locate where the blonde could possibly be hiding.

She opened her mouth, trying to call out again, but her throat was dry and no sound came out.

She swallowed rapidly, her stance wavering.

If this was a joke at her expense, then it was most definitely not funny.

A few steps forward, and her stomach plummeted.

"Oh!"

The ground dropped sharply, unseen due to the thick foliage, sending her tumbling down, surely to land painfully at the bottom of the slope if it weren't for Emma, who skilful caught her and helped her right herself.

"Sorry," Emma said with a small chuckle, "I should have warned you."

"Sometimes I swear you do these things on purpose," Regina said with a frown, though she quickly realised what she had done and the tone she had used, "Wait, I'm sorry I –

"Don't." Emma laughed as Regina calmed her racing heart, "You need to be truer to yourself Regina. You only ever let yourself go when you're with me, you know. And even that is often a challenge."

"But you are the princess and –

"Regina…" The blonde raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smile, "I'm your friend. As I hope you are mine. There is no need to constantly beg and scrape, at all, no matter what _anyone_ tells you."

She knew who Emma was referring to, and was glad the blonde knew better than to bring up a topic she had dismissed not even an hour prior. Though how long that would last come the next day was something else entirely.

The warmth that always settled in her chest around the energetic woman flared a little at Emma's words, she really did think of her so dearly. It made her face heat in her flustered state; luckily, unlike Emma her skin was darker and hid such an improper reaction.

"Now come on, we've got an adventure to enjoy." Emma informed her, turning to push through some reeds in front of them, the sound of splashing soon following.

Regina was mere seconds behind, though having good enough sense to attempt to avoid walking in the stream on the other side of the reeds, as it soon became apparent Emma was not crossing the water, but walking with it. Even though the stream was extremely shallow, Emma still managed to create large splashes as she strode through it, the droplets of water rising high enough to leave dark marks on her trousers.

Navigating through the reeds and mud soon became too much of a challenge, and far too great a risk to the state of her clothing and boots. So after only a few short moments, Regina too joined Emma in walking through the stream rather than alongside it – though far more carefully. Luckily it was not too full of stones, and their destination soon became apparent for curiously the water led into a cave. How she had not noticed such a thing immediately was beyond her, it was mere paces to the right of the slope she had practically fallen down, and Emma had mentioned a cave, hadn't she?

"So," Regina managed to say amidst the splashing, "This is the dragon's lair?"

The simple act of saying that aloud brought a smile to her face, one that grew when Emma looked over her shoulder with a grin of her own.

"Where else would a dragon hide?"

The sound of their movement in the water grew as they entered the cave; it was not much darker than outside, but that did not last further than a few metres. She stopped there, squinting into the darkness further in the cave, trying to make out anything.

"I would walk up here if I were you."

Emma stood to her left, out of the water on a dry shelf of rock, her arms crossed confidently over her chest, no doubt in part due to their sudden difference in height.

"Come on," Emma enthused with a small bounce, her excitement bubbling over her form as she motioned for Regina to join her, which she did.

Emma set a quick pace into the swallowing darkness.

Regina's fingers found the hem of her coat once again, rubbing their tips against the material, "Do we not need some sort of light source?"

"No need," Emma stated cheerfully.

"No need? That seems rather foolish."

"You'll see." The tone was playful, one that could either bode well or ill. Though Regina would be lying if she said she did not find herself enjoying even the 'ill' as well as the 'well', simply seeing Emma joyful made even the most tedious events pleasurable.

"I'm sure my trust will not be misplaced."

Emma's bright laugh bounced off the rock walls, pausing only for her to splutter out, "Of course it won't. When have I ever steered you wrong?"

It was posed as a question, but Emma most definitely did not expect to receive an answer.

Now Emma was not much more than a dark figure in the vague shape of a human. Regina looked back, but could see nothing much save for the faint glow of the outside world far away.

Their voices no longer echoing as they fell silent, she could now detect the subtle sound of the flowing stream besides them. The soft trickle of water was soothing, it was almost enough to calm her completely, something usually rare and unreachable for her.

Her shoulders tensed as the last of the light reaching them vanished, leaving nothing but darkness. Her throat felt dry once again, and she found herself blinking rapidly, an unconscious response and a useless one. It merely swapped one form of darkness with another.

Regina jumped. Her heart pausing mid beat. A grip having appeared around her wrist.

She calmed quickly, knowing that it was only Emma offering her some support as she struggled to see. The pressure was a comfort which allowed her own grip on her jacket to loosen, more than content to let Emma lead her gently along.

Her eyes adjusted to the dark swiftly, and soon she realised that as she could still see the vague outlines of the walls and the drop to the stream, that there must be light coming from somewhere. She chanced a look over her shoulder; the path must have twisted without her knowledge as the entrance was now nowhere to be seen.

The shapes gained more definition as they continued the trek in silence, Emma's hand having slipped down to grip her fingers at some point. The solid warmth just as comforting as the sound of the water, even more so when surrounded by darkness – one that seemed to finally be lifting.

In fact, if she was not fully aware that they were walking away from the entrance and had not turned back at any point, she would have thought they had found the exit. Soon the path they were walking along opened up into a large, bright cavern that had her blinking rapidly once more until she became used to the sudden influx of light.

The roof of the cave gave way in the centre, allowing the sunlight from outside to stream down on a lagoon before them – the end point for the stream as far as she could tell.

"How did you find this place?" Regina gasped out, her eyes wide as she took in the beautiful sight before her. She had never seen anything like it before, hadn't even imagined such a sight.

"I was out hunting with Red – don't tell my parents by the way."

"You know I won't." Even if Regina disagreed with Emma's actions, as the risk worried her far too much, she respected the woman's privacy.

"I kind of…" Emma scratched at the back of her neck, her hair tied up for their supposed ride; Emma's cheeks pinkened as she tilted her head back to look at the clouds visible through the fallen roof, "Fell. Much like you did."

She had forgotten they were still holding hands until she felt Emma's fingers twitch were they were tangled with her own. When had they linked fingers?

Regina instantly tensed, sensing this Emma gave her hand a squeeze before pulling away to sit on the end of the rock ledge they had walked along. She patted the spot beside her with a smile, slipping her bag off to root through when Regina moved forward hesitantly to sit near the edge.

Emma grinned at that, raising an eyebrow at her in that irritating teasing way until Regina finally relented and shifted to sit beside her, feet hanging only a short distance away from the clear, light blue water before them.

Luckily any mud that had been on her boots had washed away.

"So the two of you found this place?"

"She doesn't know of it, only I." Emma said as she looked up from her bag, "And now you."

This was Emma's secret place? And she was sharing it with her of all people. Regina took in the breath taking sight before her, her eyes shining against her will, only turning back once she regained control of herself.

Emma's head dropped again as she peered into the bag, her tongue darted out to wet her lips; Regina turned away sharply.

"Red thinks of everything," Emma murmured, bringing Regina's attention back to her, as she pulled out two rolls of quince bread and two more items which, when unwrapped, revealed two apple tarts, from the bag. The food was remarkably unaffected by the jostling of the fast horse ride or the sword that had been sharing space with it not too long ago.

One of each pair of items was placed in her lap, to which Regina shook her head gently.

"If you wished for a picnic, you could have simply asked."

"But this was more fun!" Emma managed to get out around a mouthful of the sweet bread, her eyes dancing with the light reflected off the water.

Of course the princess would never do something in a straightforward, plain or normal manner. Much like the walk there.

"Hypocras?" Emma asked, waving a bottle about, her lips tilted up into a sly grin.

"No." Regina politely declined, "No alcohol."

That would be a rather strong giveaway, and she was never fond of having her mind clouded by a substance, having things feel fogged and out of her control.

She picked at her food, any hunger she may have felt having vanished in one short moment, "They are bound to have noticed how long we have been gone."

Emma uncorked the bottle and took a long sip, her eyes sliding to the side for a few, long seconds, "… I suppose they might have…"

The words were measured, spoken carefully, and Regina recognised all the familiar signs. She picked a slice of apple from the tart in her lap and nibbled gently on the edge before speaking.

"Do not worry Emma. I will take the blame. They know how I love riding, I will simply claim that I lost track of time or perhaps pressured you in staying out longer –

"You don't have to do that, this is all on me. No blame should rest on you." Emma's shoulders raised and fell with a sigh, "I should have thought this through better."

"Yes I do need to take responsibility, you should not have to be in trouble."

"And neither should you." Emma raised her hand to run through her hair, only to realise it was tied up at the last second, "And so what if I get into trouble," Emma stated with a shrug, "What's the worst that they can do to me?"

"I don't want you to be punished."

"Regina." Her tone was serious now, far more so than was normal, and Regina knew just what that meant, "I know something far worse awaits you if you do that, yes you are being noble, but don't. Okay. Not for me and not in this matter."

"Why are you always so concerned with me? Why do you seem so determined to protect me from something that you have no true knowledge of?" Regina sunk into herself then, knowing she had said far too much.

"By you saying I have no true knowledge of something, then that is merely confirming what I believe to be true."

"It is simply your –

"Don't say it's my imagination Regina, you of all people should know better." Emma sighed, lifting the bottle to her lips, only to stop at the last moment to rest in on the rock by her side, "You're the only one to truly believe in me, perhaps you can't see it, but I can. Only you see that I am far more capable than others would ever ponder, you see something in me that no one else can. And you help it grow."

"How can I possibly aid you in anything?" Regina's brow creased as she struggled to understand just what Emma was talking about, for to her it seemed impossible for any of what she said to be true, "And what of Red? She enables many of your whims."

"Simply by being there, by my side, simply by being you." Emma was looking straight at her now, just how much she meant the words sinking in slowly, leaving the brunette swallowing rapidly in order to shift the sudden lump in her throat, "Red is kind, willing to do anything for anyone, she is tied down now, can't go on all the adventures she dreamed of. I feel as if she does these things for me both because she likes to bring joy and because in a way, I can do what she no longer can."

"By being there?" Regina shifted awkwardly, feeling far removed from any comfort she had previously felt, "I am sorry Emma but I cannot see what it is you are trying to say. My presence cannot bring you such feelings, surely." And 'by being' herself, what possible gain or benefit could she offer to anyone? She was a tagalong, a weight by any other name; yet she knew Emma meant what she was saying. In fact it brought back cloying emotions from long ago, from when she thought she could offer such joy to someone, but which now seemed so distant. So unreachable.

"I have always felt it, Regina. The warmth you bring me, it is only in the later years that I have noticed how things have changed, such as it is – such a natural development that it can only be that. Natural." Emma tilted her head to the side, her smile so genuine it hurt, "And I know you can feel it too."

"Feel what?" Oh but how she knew just what that look meant, how she had once dreamt to see it, only to have that dream shattered.

"The pull."

Regina's eyes slid shut, her shoulders shaking as she tried to fight the feelings in her chest. This only made Emma all the more determined, and for once she did not back down, instead her voice strengthened as she tried to soothe Regina by explaining just what she meant.

"The bond between us, like a length of string being wound tighter and tighter. It connects us, I tried to ignore it certain that it was something else, perhaps just the respect and admiration of someone far more – well, someone I see as being wiser and greater than I. But now I know it is not, that it is that something else I first thought."

Regina's voice wavered beyond her control as her eyes flickered open, "Emma, there is nothing there."

"Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't real."

The repetition of Emma's earlier words struck her somewhere just above her collarbone, stealing her breath before she could realise it.

"I know you find it hard to admit things, and I know it sounds like I am forcing on you what I wish to be true, but if you say that I am wrong. That what I believe I see is my imagination, then I will stop. I will never bring this up again, I promise you that Regina."

Regina opened her mouth, prepared to do just that. But she couldn't. The words would not pass her lips, could barely be conjured up by her brain, as if the mere concept of refusal was far beyond her. As if it was an unreachable target.

Instead, the brunette's head dropped, her eyes closing, "I… I cannot do that."

Hesitantly, Emma's hand hovered over Regina's, lowering slowly until the warmth of her hand settled on the brunette's.

"But this cannot…"

"It can." Emma said softly, "My parents enthuse about love, and about true love. It is the most powerful force in the world."

"I once believed that."

"Once?"

But Regina refused to expand on the pain filled sentence she had just uttered. Emma's hand squeezed her own, supportive, yet knowing not to push. She always knew what to do, and that just made it all the harder.

"If love is such a powerful thing, then why would it be limited by qualifiers?" Emma's logic may be idealistic, perhaps childlike in a way, but her words held such a strong conviction, and they meant so well that it was a challenge for Regina not to allow herself to be carried away by them, "Why would something so great be limited by gender, or age, or anything like that? If it is a power greater than anything?"

"Things are not that simple, Emma."

How she wished they were.

"Not if you think too much, or allow yourself to be consumed by anxiety."

"We can't." Regina managed to get out, even as her heart beat a rapid tattoo beneath her breast.

"I will wait." Emma nodded to herself, tilting her head this way and that to try to get Regina's eyes to meet her own, her smile reassuring and all consuming.

Finally she succeeded in getting Regina to look at her, almost nose to nose.

"Wait?"

There was something shimmering in Emma's eyes, something deep and immense. It warmed her from head to toe, leaving her feeling oddly light headed, and expectant.

"Until you feel ready, or until you tell me no. And even if that happens, it won't change how we act, I will still respect you as I do now, and I hope you will still treat me the same also." Emma rubbed her free hand over the back of her neck when she could not do so to her hair, forgetting once again that it was tied up. "I just… needed to get that out. I needed you to know before. Things change."

"Nothing will change how I think of you."

Emma's hand dropped to her lap, barely missing landing in the pastry there. She grinned, the skin around her eyes crinkling with the force of it, and the skin covering her cheekbones reddened, "Well in that case I am glad."

The blonde seemed as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, one neither of them had noticed until it was gone.

"And I'm glad that I helped you ease your burden."

Despite Regina's inability to accept or refuse, in spite of the weight of the conversation, Regina allowed Emma's hand to remain on hers. In fact, rather than pull away as she so often felt the need to, she turned her hand over, resting the back against smooth rock. Emma took the invitation, lacing their fingers together much as they unconsciously had when they first arrived in the cavern.

"I thought there was supposed to be a dragon," Regina teased in order to lighten the mood, causing the flush of colour to deepen and spread across Emma's face.

"Well this place is massive," Emma informed, gesturing with her arm towards the far side of the 'room', "I haven't gone much further than this, so it is entirely possible…"

"Well, I'm glad there isn't one."

"That we know about." Emma tapped the hilt of the sword at her waist, "I can still get to use this."

Regina picked another slice of apple from her tart with her free hand, raising an eyebrow at Emma's determined enthusiasm.

"I suppose we can always return to find this dragon of yours."

Emma laughed at that, the sound completely infectious as Regina soon found her own laugh joining the blonde's, the mingled sound echoing around their newly found secret den.


End file.
